After God's Heart

The facades we work so hard to create hold us back from our true potential. Additionally those same facades hold us back from being vulnerable enough to grow. People who refuse to be vulnerable, to simply open their heart to instruction are known as unteachable, uncoachable, and in some circles, just plain prideful. Those same people make poor athletes, poor employees, and are rarely those whom others seek for advice.

But success is not measured by our accomplishments or our trophies.  No one will remember the A's we received in High School or College. Trophies will collect dust. And when all is said and done most people won't care what business deal we settled or for whom we settled it.  Success is measured by our ability to be vulnerable.  We need to be able to be uncomfortable and to seek answers in order to truly reach our greatest potential.  And we have to realize that our greatest potential is meaningless if it serves only to benefit ourselves.  

Pastor Joyce writes about one of my all time favorite students, leaders, and warriors.  She tells us of his vulnerability, and his reliance on the only thing that could ensure him success.  As you read her account of David, consider how you might open yourself up to being vulnerable in just one small area of your life.  

A Heart For God

David was God’s anointed man of the hour in the history of Israel after their first king, Saul, who had allowed the spirit of witchcraft to overtake him through rebellion.  David was a Hebrew and was taught well all the ordinances, customs, traditions, and statutes of the nation.

 

David knew God; he trusted and relied on Him to be a skilled shepherd by protecting the sheep from dangerous predators.  After conquests of such a nature he wrote and sang music that we are privileged to read throughout the Psalms…”The Lord is my portion and my inheritance and of my cup thou maintain my lot. (16:5).

The maintenance of his leadership as King and worship warrior and most importantly His relationship with God is depicted in the 176 verses of Psalm 119.  Over and over he asks the Lord to teach him his law.  He obviously didn’t trust his own interpretation of what was written or handed down by the traditions of the elders but wanted to know the meaning through the only trusted source he knew who was God Himself.

Our pursuit of God, to find His application of the law to our life we must have the same desire to know what He is saying.   In David’s day he talked to men in a mystery; today He speaks through His Son.  And we hear by the voice of the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us.

To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit we cry out like David,” Lord teach me!”  It is easy to think we know the answers to most of the questions of life, especially if we have lived long enough to experience many things and studied for ourselves…But there is a journey into the unseen realm that the Lord longs to take us that we may effectively rule with Him.  If we seek Him with our whole heart He will be found by us. The Holy Spirit is our guide, counselor, and revelator, tells us God’s thoughts, quickens the word to us so they are spoken through us.  It’s all in the Word of God revealed by the Spirit of God.  Dig Deep!